First figure your homework grade. Keep your returned HW papers
in case your instructor makes a mistake in recording your grade.
Also check your recorded grades occasionally on the web.
Your HW percentage is your total number of HW points divided by
the number of HW points which are possible. If I have counted correctly,
there are 475 possible HW points for the first summer session. However,
we will figure the final HW percentage out of only 425 points. You
can't get more than 100% though, so once you have 425 points you don't
need to turn in any more HW, unless you just like to have your HW
graded.
As an example, say you have earned 379 HW points for the semester.
Your HW percentage would be:
379/425 = 89.2%
HW is worth 25 points overall, so you would have earned 22.3 HW points.
We round all point calculations to the nearest tenth of a point.
100 HOMEWORK POINTS ARE REQUIRED FOR A PASSING GRADE
IN THE COURSE. LESS THAN 100 HOMEWORK POINTS IS AN
AUTOMATIC E.
Now figure your test total. In the summer there are four tests
in 2 parts each, for a total of 8 parts, or "halves". You may keep any
six halves except that you must keep at least one part of test 4, which
serves the purpose of an exam. Multiple Choice halves are usually worth
60 points each and Problem halves are usually worth 65 points each. Your
test total is the total of the six halves you keep, divided by the total
points possible for those six halves, times 75. For example, say
these are your test scores:
TEST 1 TEST 2 TEST 3 TEST 4
MC PROB MC PROB MC PROB MC PROB
45 51 40 33 45 47 30 49
With these scores you would want to drop TEST 2 PROBLEMS and TEST 4
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Your test total would be:
75 points * (45 + 51 + 40 + 45 + 47 + 49)/(3 * 65 + 3 * 60)
= 75 (277/375) = 75 (.7387) = 55.4
This makes your overall total 22.3 + 55.4 = 77.7. What will
be your final letter grade? That depends on what the final
grade scale is. I start with no curve. That is
90 and above A
80-90 B
70-80 C
60-70 D
below 60 E
If the class average is 75 or higher, there is no change. If the
class average falls below 75, I feel obliged to relax this scale
somewhat. Look at
last year's web page
or summer 1998 web page
or summer 1997 web page
or summer 1996 web page
to get an idea for what this year's scale might be.